


Before The Trials

by Drizzt_Do_Urden



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: Fantasy, Literature, Other, fan fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2020-01-14 21:40:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18484912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drizzt_Do_Urden/pseuds/Drizzt_Do_Urden
Summary: an AU one-shot of the Trials of Apollo.  Lucifer has come to get the Olympians, and for Apollo's safety, Zeus has turned him into Lester Papadapoulous.  The "punishment" is just an excuse.It's my special crack fic.  I own nothing. Except the plot.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> an AU one-shot of the Trials of Apollo.  Lucifer has come to get the Olympians, and for Apollo's safety, Zeus has turned him into Lester Papadapoulous.  The "punishment" is just an excuse. 
> 
> It's my special crack fic.  I own nothing. Except the plot. 

        “We have to do something,” Hera demanded, stamping her foot in frustration. “We can’t just let that Lucifer fellow _destroy_  us all.”

          Zeus scowled as he reclined on the snow-white couch in their bedroom. He glanced up at his beautiful queen, resplendent in her long white chiton, red hair piled up on her head behind a golden diadem. Throughout the centuries, he’d done nothing but cheat on her, taking it for granted she’d stay by his side. He did not deny it, nor did he deny that it had no effect on her. Hera had a vindictive streak a thousand miles wide, and countless lives had been ruined due to her rage at his infidelity.         Yet regardless of any lust he might feel for anyone other than her, and whatever rage she might inflict upon the objects of that lust, Zeus loved Hera with all his heart. Should anything happen to her- should this Lucifer fellow do anything to her...          Zeus resisted the urge to shudder. Shuddering would imply that things were not normal. And he couldn't afford that. Given the absurd amount of information about them Lucifer had revealed he knew when he'd arrived at Mount Olympus two weeks ago, it was completely clear that he was spying on them. If even the slightest thing looked out of the ordinary, Lucifer might get suspicious. And he couldn't get suspicious- not if Zeus's plan was to work.          Instead, Zeus snorted,          "Him? Destroy _us_? I think he ought to aim a little less high, don't you? Like, say, a hatbox, for instance. That sounds more like something within his range."          Zeus turned his head behind and called out,          "Ganymede! More wine!"         Ganymede, his cupbearer, did not answer.         "Ganymede! Where are you?" Zeus demanded.          Hera rolled her eyes.          "You sent that stupid boy to Italy three days ago," she snapped.          Zeus was, of course, well aware of this fact- but it made him seem puffed up and arrogant to not know. And the less competent he appeared to Lucifer, the better.          Just then he heard Apollo's footsteps in the corridor, and immediately knew it was time. Time to enact the little experiment that might save them all.          _My dear boy. I am so sorry._ Out of all Zeus's sons, Apollo was by far his favorite _._ To do this to him- for no good reason- it tore up Zeus's insides. He'd rather have his eyes plucked out and his liver eaten than cause Apollo this misery.  _It's for his own good,_ Zeus reminded himself. _According to what Athena's told me, Apollo will suffer the most at Lucifer's hands if I don't do this._   _A god of light, favored most by his father-it's only natural Lucifer should take his worst out on him. He's got everything Lucifer lost._ He braced himself, got up off of the couch, and turned to face Apollo as he entered the room. “Father, I-”      Zeus slapped Apollo on his left cheek, causing the laurel wreath on his head to fall to the floor. Apollo stared at him in shock, his jaw dropped.       “What was that for?” Apollo demanded, picking up his laurel wreath.        "Yes," Hera cried, outraged. "What _was_ that for?"        “That, ” Zeus bellowed. "Was for all that mess you caused with Gaea!"  _Darling boy_ , Zeus thought despairingly to himself. _I hope someday you find it in your heart to forgive me_.        "I had nothing to do with-" Apollo began, but Hera cut him off.          "Never mind _that_ \- what are you going to do about Lucifer?" she interjected angrily.           Apollo's eyes furrowed in confusion. But before he could ask what that funny demon who'd visited two weeks ago had anything to do with this, Zeus raised his hand, and a mighty blast of white light shot out. A fissure in the ground cracked upon, and a stunned Apollo fell through it, falling rapidly towards the earth.       "Remember," Zeus roared down at him, " _It's all your fault!_ "          _No_ , he thought, breaking inside, it isn't. _I am so sorry, my son_.         With that, he watched as Apollo fell towards the earth to meet a certain pile of trash that unfortunately, had his name on it.      He and Hera met eyes, and then she turned and stormed out of the room, the white double doors slamming behind her as she did. Zeus sighed and sank back upon the couch. Angering his wife, although necessary in this case, never boded well.      The first few days as a mortal would be hard for Apollo, Zeus knew. Mortality is not an easy thing to cope with when you've been a god most of your life. Especially since the mortality Zeus had given him in question was quite a _dorky_ mortality. Slowly but surely though, Apollo's memories of his godly life would fade, and the new existence of Lester Papadapoulous would be the only thing he knew.       And it was just as well- for although Lucifer might want nothing more than to destroy Apollo, what could he possibly care about a mortal teenager named Lester?        

if (!window.__meta_cache) {  
window.__meta_cache = [];  
}  
window.__meta_cache['daml633488381']=[] 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a sequel to the last fanfiction, Before The Trials. I own nothing, except this plot. 

      The sun god's memories were fading fast, Zeus observed. They were fuzzy, and not entirely all there.  All according to plan.   
    The double doors burst open, and Artemis angrily stormed into the room, her tangled red hair full of leaves, her bow dangling by her side.   
    "Why, pray tell," she thundered. "Have you sent my brother on this _ludicrous quest_ while we're being _attacked_? In _mortal form_ , no less!"   
     Artemis was more observant then Hera, Zeus realized. And far more motivated. To Hera, Apollo was nothing more than another bastard child of his. But to Artemis...there were no words to describe it. She had pulled Apollo out of their mother's womb right after she herself had been born.  The twins went everywhere together, did everything together. They hunted, they argued-they were the closest of siblings.   
    "The Triumvirate needed to be dealt with," Zeus said simply, shrugging his shoulders.   
     "Oh, really?" Artemis snapped. "If that was the case, then why did you approve of his enslavement to a _twelve-year-old_ who was in cahoots with _Nero_? All she had to do to stop him was order him to commit suicide!"   
       "She didn't, though," Zeus countered. "She'd come to like him too much by the end."   
       "But _she could have!_ " Artemis roared. "And then where would he be? In Hades, that's where! Because that's _what happens_ to _mortals_ after they die!"   
        Artemis glowered at him.   
        "Tell me this," she snapped. "Are the Roman Emperors _really_  worth the risk of killing Apollo? Are they?"   
        Zeus had four options. He could either order her simply to shut up and forget the whole thing. He was the king of the gods, after all. But that would only be temporary. She'd come back to challenge him again, or at the very least do some private investigating. He could say _no_ , but then she'd denounce him as a hypocrite  and demand he bring Apollo back. He could say yes- no, he couldn't say yes. That would be _ludicrous_.   
      That left the fourth option. Telling her the truth.   
      Zeus cleared his throat.   
      "You want the truth, my child. Well, fine. Here it is. The Roman Emperors are a smokescreen. A side issue. They are not the real reason I sent Apollo to earth."   
      "Then what is the real reason?" Artemis hissed, growing livid.   
      "To protect him. From Lucifer."   
      "P-protecting him?" Artemis stammered. "How is sending him smack into danger with no more skills than that of a nerdy teenage boy _protecting_ him?"   
      "Because," Zeus explained. "Apollo is a god of light. He is my favorite son. _Lucifer_ used to be an angel of light. And, apparently, _Yahweh_ 's favorite. Apollo represents everything Lucifer used to have before he lost it all. You can only imagine how jealous Lucifer must be."   
      "So Lucifer will go after him," Artemis said, furrowing her brow.   
       "No," Zeus corrected. "He will want to _destroy_ Apollo. The only way to protect Apollo is to take from him what Lucifer covets. His status."  
       "So...that's why you sent him down to Earth!" Artemis gasped.  
       Zeus nodded.   
       "The less in my favor Apollo appears to be, the less Lucifer will want to hurt him. With Apollo properly humiliated, he will turn his attention away from Apollo and focus on other things. Meanwhile, Apollo will slowly forget he ever used to be a god and settle into a mortal life, and by the time Lucifer decides to look for him again, Apollo will have... _disappeared_."  
      "And...after we've dealt with Lucifer?"   
       Zeus smirked.   
       "I take him back, restore him to his godly status, we forget this ever happened. Speaking of which, I have something to do."  
        "What is it?"   
       "Well...you're right, my child. The quest period has lasted long enough. I think Lucifer's seen enough to convince him Apollo's no longer the golden boy. It's time to hide him away."   
        With that, Zeus snapped his fingers and appeared in the Apollo cabin, where he found the young god-turned-mortal fast asleep. Really, Zeus thought to himself as he looked down at his son, he had no idea what Apollo was complaining about. He didn't look unattractive in the slightest. Sure, his stomach was flabby, but honestly, no mortal man could reasonably be expected to have eight rigid abdominal muscles prominently showing. And yes, he did have pimples, but he was supposed to be a _teenager_ for goodness's sake. You couldn't be a teenager without pimples. Really, with those dark curls and olive skin, he looked rather lovely. Mortal, but lovely.   
      Zeus pointed at Apollo's head, and immediately a silver stream of memories came floating from his head. He took out a little silver box, guided the silver stream into it, and then closed it. He then conjured up another silver stream, and guided it towards Apollo's head, where it then disappeared. He then snapped his fingers, and soon he and Apollo were in what appeared to be a boy's bedroom. Zeus picked up the sleeping Apollo, put him on the single bed to the left wall, snapped his fingers, and disappeared, mission accomplished.   
     Little did Zeus know however, that he was being watched. Watched by an angel. One angel particular.   
    "Oh, you are one clever little pseudo-deity, I'll give you that," Lucifer smirked as he stared at the sleeping Apollo. "Giving him a fake punishment so I would overlook him. Ingenious. But not enough. Not _now_ , anyway." 

 

        

           
if (!window.__meta_cache) {  
window.__meta_cache = [];  
}  
window.__meta_cache['daml647418346']=[] 


End file.
